Texas Law Mandates Age Verification Systems to Major App Operator – Understanding How this New Law May Change Liability Claims
On May 27, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a law mandating major app store operators, such as Google and Apple, implement age verification systems to restrict minors’ access to certain mobile applications. The law aims to increase online safety for minors by ensuring that inappropriate content is not easily accessible through these app stores.
The law requires app stores to verify users’ age and obtain parental consent for minors before they can download an app. The law aligns with similar efforts in other states, like Utah, which became the first state to pass legislation to verify ages and require parental consent for minors. The law is part of a much larger initiative to hold digital platforms accountable for the content that they make accessible to younger audiences.
It is important to highlight that tech companies have expressed concerns on how such legislation could impact user privacy and on how impractical implementing age verification systems would be. However, those in favor of legislation argued that these safety measures are necessary to protect minors from harmful content that they may come across online.
This new legislation reflects a growing trend among states to regulate digital safety for minors, potentially setting precedent for future federal regulation.
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The new law is likely to strengthen the framework for holding tech companies responsible when minors are harmed by digital content that is available on apps or through app stores. It also gives lawyers a clearer path to be able to argue negligence or statutory violations in lawsuits filed by parents involving harm to children.
Consider the following ways that this law can affect personal injury law:
- Duty of care and negligence: app store platforms may now have a duty of care to prevent minors from accessing harmful content. If a minor is injured in any way (physically or psychologically) due to access to inappropriate apps and the platform failed to verify their age as required by the law, then the platform could face a personal injury claim on the basis of negligence. For example, if a minor suffers mental health harm due to the use of a social media application that they should not have been able to access under the law, then parents may claim that the app store was negligent in failing to enforce age verification. To summarize, this could apply to injury claims, emotional distress claims, and wrongful death claims.
- Product liability: traditionally, app stores are not considered product manufacturers, although courts have occasionally heard product liability claims against digital platforms when their services have directly led to harm. For example, if an app that has known harmful effects on minors (like AI chatbots that expose users to sexually explicit content or other suggestive content) is distributed without any age restriction or without requiring age verification, claimants may argue that the app store distributed a defective product, even more so if they failed to adhere to these new legal obligations.
This new Texas law definitely opens the door for more lawsuits against tech companies with app stores, like Google and Apple. The law sets a clear legal requirement, which makes it easier for plaintiffs to argue that these platforms violated a duty of care and acted negligently.
More States Soon to FollowIn California, specifically, similar legislation has been introduced, although not for the first time (previous attempts have been blocked). California Assembly Bill 1043 (AB 1043) aims to increase online safety for minors by requiring app store providers to implement certain age verification measures. Some of the key points of AB 1043 include age verification, parental consent and parental controls, and age signaling, for example.
As more states successfully pass legislation designed to protect minors from the dangers of unregulated technology, more lawsuits are likely to arise.
Yes, if you are a resident of Texas or another state with legislation similar to what was discussed above, you could have the right to file a lawsuit. You could also have the right to receive compensation for any harm that occurred. Although every claim is different, you could be entitled to receive compensation for resulting harm. For more information about your right to file a lawsuit and receive compensation for the harm that a minor suffered as a result of being exposed to dangerous content via a mobile app, please do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible.
Contact Our Firm TodayOur experts here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group understand the dangers of mobile applications available through app stores. We know the harm that could occur as a result of dangerous apps and are ready to hold all liable parties accountable. We are not afraid to file a lawsuit and fight for your right to get justice. If you are ready to explore the legal options available to you, contact us today. Our firm offers free case reviews, which include free consultations and free second opinions. Whether you are looking to begin or continue your claim, our experts are ready to provide you with all the information that you need. To schedule a free case evaluation, contact us today.
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